BOULDER - Boulder County officials have released a new set of proposed rules for oil and gas companies wishing to operate in the county.

Air and water quality surrounding oil and gas drilling is addressed for the first time by the proposed rules, according to information about the issue on a Boulder County website. An existing set of rules in the county's Land Use Code was passed 19 years ago, and the new proposal would update those rules.

County officials have received thousands of comments from residents about oil and gas drilling issues in the past several months, said Jim Webster, a spokesman for the county. Boulder County commissioners placed a temporary moratorium on processing required development plans for local oil and gas permits in February.

Oil and gas drilling is regulated by the state. The county's new proposed rules "are protective of public health and environment while not overstepping the authority we have as a county government," according to a statement put out by the county's Land Use department. The statement comes in advance of a Monday, Sept. 24, public meeting of the Boulder County Planning Commission to get input.

Three other public meetings may be scheduled in October and one in November to gather comments on the issue, based on information posted on the county's website. For details, visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/dept/landuse/pages/oilgas.aspx.

The eastern portion of unincorporated Boulder County is the area most affected by the proposed regulations, Webster said.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Committee sued the city of Longmont in July, saying the city's new oil and gas rules trespassed into areas meant to be governed by the state.